I invite you to the observance of a Holy Lent

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism.  It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

Bishop Daniel Gutierrez's Lenten Messege

Lent 2017

My brothers and sisters, I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The season of Lent approaches, and I would like to take this opportunity to share some thoughts about our journey together. It is my hope that we will all pursue a holy Lent. Lent is a time of preparation; we prepare ourselves as individuals, and as a community of faith, for our journey with Jesus Christ.  Nothing is as important as our walk with Jesus.  Lent is a time of intentionality and fasting.  Our Lenten discipline is a movement away from the temporal satisfaction of the world and toward the eternal heart of Christ. We open our hearts and minds to the presence of God.

I have traveled on the pilgrimage, been present with our laity and clergy, and heard the beauty of your stories, individually and corporately.  I have felt the Holy Spirit calling me and us collectively to begin a journey deep into our faith. That calling will be characterized by Prayer, Proclamation, and Peace. We will be the people of God in the Diocese of Pennsylvania dedicated to going deep in prayer, being bold in the proclamation of the Gospel, and committed to bringing peace in our communities.

In preparation to walk with Christ in his obedience and suffering, I am inviting you to participate as a diocese in several ways. First, let's pray.  I often hear people say they do not have time to pray or they need to learn how to pray once again.  Just speak to God; gaze upon the Lord.  Leave everything to God.  Speak to God in the car, during those "transition times" when going from meeting to meeting. Pray, pray and then pray again.  I have a feeling God wants to hear our voices.

I encourage you to center your life with worship and sacrament by seeking out a midweek or daily Eucharist service to attend regularly during Lent. We know the joy of our Sunday celebrations, and I also know that finding another opportunity to anchor your life to the celebration of Holy Eucharist will sustain you spiritually.

Second, I invite you to explore the practice of contemplative prayer. Specifically, I would like us as a diocese to pray the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner") as a way to center ourselves. To this end, I will make available prayer ropes to those who may want one, as a way of incorporating a significant tactile element to our contemplative life.  I would also encourage you to join over 1200 of your brothers and sisters in the Diocese in reading scripture daily through the Bishop 's Bible Challenge.

Finally, I invite you to read two books and watch one movie with me. I would like for us all to read and reflect on Fleming Rutledge's book "The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ."  The second book is "The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life" by Brother David Steindl-Rast.  The movie I encourage us to watch is "Of Gods and Men."  A film based on the life of the Cistercian monks of Tibéhirine in Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996."

Our spiritual and communal journey is beautiful.  The Diocese of Pennsylvania is filled with faithful and hopeful people I am blessed to serve as your servant and shepherd.  You are a gift to the church, and we are sharing the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Know you are in my prayers and are deeply loved.

Faithfully yours,
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. GutiérrezXVI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
View the Bishop's Video: https://vimeo.com/206106750

Make in us new and contrite hearts

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Thrive and grow

Rabbi Uri taught: “Man is like a tree. If you stand in front of a tree and watch it incessantly to see how it grows and to see how much it has grown, you will see nothing at all. But tend to it at all times, prune the runners, and keep the vermin from it, and—all in good time—it will come into its growth. It is the same with man: all that is necessary is for him to overcome his obstacles, and he will thrive and grow. But it is not right to examine him every hour to see how much has been added to his growth.”

Martin Buber

from Inward/Outward blog

Hold onto things that endure

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.